After missing Thursday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a personal issue, Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving is set to sit out another match.
Per Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Irving won't fly with the Nets for their game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Kyrie Irving is not expected to join the Nets on their flight to Memphis tonight, per a source. ‘He’s not coming’ is what I was told. BKN plays the Grizzlies Friday @TheAthleticNBA
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) January 8, 2021
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, meanwhile, reported that the enigmatic Irving is once again citing “personal reasons” for not joining his team.
Irving is citing personal reasons for his absence. https://t.co/0U1IZFWKkG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 8, 2021
Irving did not suit up in the Nets' 122-109 victory over the Sixers on Thursday, a move that surprised even coach Steve Nash (via Dime).
“I don’t know. I just found out. I just sent him a message in the last half hour. I haven’t heard back yet. Obviously thinking about him and hope all is well. It’s a private matter.”
With Irving absent and Kevin Durant serving a seven-day quarantine protocol after being exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, the Nets had no star power to face the complete Sixers roster. Some players, however, stepped up to the plate, led by Joe Harris' 28 points and Caris LeVert's 22 markers as the depleted Nets took the win, 122-109.
While Kyrie Irving himself has not elaborated on his absence, many have speculated that it is due to the recent events on Wednesday. Apart from the riot at the US Capitol by rabid Donald Trump supporters, the officer who shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin was not charged. Irving has been one of the most outspoken athletes with regard to social issues and political matters.
The Nets will once again try to pull off a victory without their two superstars against the hard-fighting Grizzlies.
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